The fluoroalkylaryliodonium compounds according to the present invention are represented by the formula (I) below and are useful as intermediates for producing N-fluoroalkylanilines or derivatives thereof which are important precursors for flourine-containing disperse azo dyes having an excellent resistance to light. The N-fluoroalkylanilines and derivatives thereof are described, for example, in Ind. Eng. Chem., 1953, 1730; Kogyo Kagaku Zasshi, 62, 1746 (1959); ibid, 65, 1189 (1962); Nippon Kagaku Kai Shi, 1983, 112; and J. Med. Chem., 16, 1354 (1973), etc.
Conventional methods for producing N-fluoroalkylanilines and derivatives thereof include (1) a method comprising reacting a fluoroalkyl halide with an aniline compound, and (2) a method comprising reacting a fluoroalkyl tosylate, an o-nitrobenzenesulfonate or a trichloromethanesulfonate with an aniline compound, as described in the above-described literature references.
However, the above conventional method (1) is not advantageous since it requires a prolonged reaction time at a high temperature under a pressurized condition in an autoclave, and yet the yield of the desired product is relatively low.
The above conventional method (2) also requires a high reaction temperature, a prolonged reaction time, or the yield of the desired product is relatively low. Moreover, this method tends to form by-products due to the use of polar solvents in the reaction.
As a result of extensive studies for eliminating these disadvantages of the conventional methods for producing N-fluoroalkylanilines or derivatives thereof, the present inventors found that the compounds of this invention can be easily converted into N-fluoroalkylaniline compounds under mild conditions, and completed the present invention.